hyp4mhz.com

Category: Smartphone

  • Telstra Pulse T790 Review

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    Welcome to the 2013 Telstra Pulse (T790) mobile phone review. Released in May 2013 this model also took us by surprise since we thought it was the Frontier or Easytouch 4G model released  last year. ThePulse is hence very similar in design to the older and higher  models but differing significantly in hardware specifications this model is clearly the lessor model. The Pulse Android OS based smart phone and priced at a very reasonable $79 AUD as a pre-paid package from most larger retailers. It is a far cry from Telstra's first cheap smart phones which we thought where market leading in terms of price only and nothing else! The Pulse is actually quite useful. The Telstra Pulse is terms of construction is like its more expensive relations so it does feel a little cheap but certainly sturdy enough to carry around without a case. The Pulse does feel Ok considering its price and it should last a year or two without any problems. In terms of hardware specifications the Pulse is definitely on the basic Android end of the market. It has low resolution screen, camera, battery capacity, graphics and so forth. Mind you its not the only model with this sort of specification but one of the few knows brands selling or this price. Thanks to a 1Ghz CPU and separate graphics CPU all the expected communication like email, skype, txt, Facebook and so forth will work perfectly. However forget about Instagram or any app that relies to getting decent camera pictures. However the low resolution screen will annoy but at least it all works. In terms of software the Pulse runs the latest Android OS which should help broaden the range of software you can run on it. Apart from the custom Telstra widgets there is nothing unique about this particular model. There are some micro lags when using but its not that bad compared to past models. It still runs well and at this price there's not many models to choose from. We can't really say much more, so the conclusion to the Telstra Pulse review is that it is a decent low end Android phone for those who don't want anything special but a cheap phone that can do most things. Its got more going it than price for a change! Specifications
    • Telstra Pulse T790
    • Network Tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900 Mhz Tri-band 3G 850/2100 Mhz HSDPA 7.2 Mbps data speed (download) HSUPA 2 Mbps (upload)
    • Design Touch screen
    • L116.2 x W61 x D13 mm
    • Weight 111 grams
    • Display/s 3.5 inch 320 x 480 pixel
    • Camera 2MP Video Camera
    • 640x 480 pixels @ 15fps
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V3
    • CPU 1Ghz Separate Adreno 200 Graphic CPU
    • Memory Up to 280MB for user Up to 32Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features A-GPS AndroidApp store Free Google Navigator (requires data plan) FM Radio Compass Accelerometer, Proximity, Compass and Ambient Light Music and Media player MS-Word, Excel and Powerpoint, PDF, ZIP compatible Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 1200 mAh battery Up to 200 hours Standby Up to 200 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $79 AUD June 2013 (Pre-paid only)

  • Samsung Galaxy Note II Review

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    Welcome to the 2013 Samsung Galaxy Note 2 N7000 series review. We liked the original Galaxy Note - so with great anticipation, waited till this second version before deciding our next major mobile phone purchase. The original Note and the replacement Note II when this was review written and was the largest mobile phone you can buy. Some popular commentators called too big to be a useful phone and poured scorn claiming their enlighten senses were more aligned to the mass market and the future! Of course they where completely wrong and the concept continues to prove highly popular. You see mobile phones and smart phones are now the primary source of computer and telecommunications device for everyone. In countries with developed infrastructure these devices do the work we used to do on PCs eg. internet banking, reading the news and emails a mere 5 years ago. As we age and our eyes fade and our bodies become bigger along with wanting more means we are happy with a large but not too large device to carry around! In terms of hardware the Samsung Note II is and improvement over the original. The 3D effect on the grey version is quite nice. The build quality is very good despite being largely plastic it does feel sturdy enough for daily use. even without a case. The case also has a slot for the S-pen which works well although it took some time to work out which apps would work with it. The large 5.5 inch Note II screen produces less saturated images than the original and can be read in bright sunlight easily enough. The size is really quite nice allowing for less typing errors and is really comfortable to hold too. Try one your self and see what you think. In terms of performance and use the Galaxy Note II is quick and very responsive.  Unlike the original there are next to no lags on the interface design running various apps and widgets. We can't really say much more since it is literally packed with everything you could desire on a smartphone in 2013. The camera is a bit of a let down though. All it really needs is a infrared to be able to change channels on the TV or stereo. You could complain that there are just too many settings to play with but then the iPhone has just as many! The Note II has or can have any thing you want including a FTP server - not a mistake! To conclude, we like the Galaxy Note 2 even more than the original. Definitely worth a look if you're a pretty active person who just wants to do everything on the go and on a big screen rather than stuck to your PC. It's now much easier to actually write a novel on it and watching movies in virtually any format you want along with games and internet browsing this pretty much all you need. Definitely recommended! Specifications
    • Samsung Galaxy Note II
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Quad-band 3G 850/900/1900/2100 Quad Band LTE 4G 800/900/1800/2600 (dependent on country)
    • Design Touch screen
    • L151 x W80.5 x D94 mm
    • Weight 183 grams
    • Display/s 5.5 inch 1,280 x 720 AMOLED
    • Camera 8MP auto-focus LED Flash 2nd forward facing video call camera 2MP
    • Video Camera 1080p high definition 30FPS main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V3
    • CPU 1.6 Ghz Quad core Separate Graphic CPU
    • Memory 1Gig RAM 16 Gig for user Up to 64Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Features A-GPS, Compass, Proximeter,Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Ambient light FM Radio with RDS Ring tones: MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others AndroidApp store Samsung App store Free Google Navigator (requires data plan) Dolby Digital Music and Media player MS-Word, Excel and Powerpoint, PDF, ZIP compatible Organiser/Calendar SMS, MMS, IM, Email Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 3100 mAh battery Up to 21 hours Standby Up to 35 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Under $700 AUD April 2013 (Outright)

  • Samsung Galaxy S3 Review

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    Welcome to the 2013 Samsung Galaxy S3 review. At the time of writing the Galaxy SIII I9300 series has been on sale for nearly 6 months and arguably the best Android based phone you can buy. Lots have been said and there are plenty of in-depth reviews that you can read. We've read them checked out the benchmarks and agree so have nothing to add to the world. So Like the iPhone we can only point out the reasons why you shouldn'y buy the Galaxy S3! - Requires Gmail address with all your personal data so you need a separate email for your phone if you want to maintain any privacy. - The Apps are not vetted as thoroughly as Apple's so you can be a victim. - Build quality while good could be much better. As plastic does its quite good to look at. - Standard Samsung enhancements are not attractive to look at. - A bit more difficult to setup and use due to the number of customisation options. - Google Play needs more work. - The screen colours are too saturated. - Still not as smooth as other OS. Overall the Galaxy S3 does have less issues if not using the advanced functions than the iPhone and that's probably why its the better choice for most people. Like the iPhone there is more great features than the problems! One of the most important features in being about to see Flash content! Just remember that the Galaxy S3 is one of the best mobile phones are the moment for a variety of reasons and would be our choice if it hadn't been for the new Windows 8 phones just released! Specifications
    • Samsung Galaxy S3
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Tri-band 3G 850/900/2100 Tri-band 4G 899/1800/2600
    • Design Touch screen
    • L136.6 x W70.6 x D8.6 mm
    • Weight 131 grams
    • Display 4.8 inch 1,280 x 720 AMOLED
    • Camera 8MP auto-focus LED Flash 2nd forward facing video call camera 2MP
    • Video Camera 1080p high definition 30FPS main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V3
    • CPU Quad core 1.4 Ghz
    • Separate Graphic CPU
    • Memory 1Gig RAM 16 Gig for user Up to 64Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Features A-GPS Compass Accelerometer Proximity Ambient Light Dolby Digital Music and Media player Ring tones: MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others Google Play store Free Google Navigator (requires data plan) MS-Word, Excel and Powerpoint, PDF, ZIP compatible Organiser/Calendar SMS, MMS, IM, Email Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 2100 mAh battery Up to 600 hours Standby Up to 11 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $650 AUD late 2013 (Outright) Approx $750 AUD late 2012 (Outright)

  • HTC Wildfire S Review

    hyp4mhz

    Welcome to the 2011 HTC Wildfire S review page.  The new HTC Wildfire S released in mid-2011 is the update to the original and one of the cheapest Android based mobile phones you can get in 2011. However in our opinion the Wildfire S even better and one of the best of the cheaper Android OS based touch screen phones. All the criticisms of the original version have been addressed and we think this will be the benchmark at the low to mid range market for smart phones on the market. Unfortunately you can't get a Wildfire S on Telstra pre-paid just yet (July 2011). However we guess that it will once they run out of the older Wildfire. The Wildfire S is priced around $350 outright, it is currently $390 from Telstra. Update November 2011 The Wildfire S is now available as a $199 pre-paid package.

    The 2011 Wildfire S uses the Android 2.3 operating system and is feature packed in terms of hardware and software capability for a relative cheap mobile phone. It comes with A-GPS, Wi-Fi, and all the usual environmental sensors. In terms of operation the Wildfire S works with minimal delay and noticeably smoother than the older model. It also includes a App which allows the phone to be used as a Wi-Fi router/modem by other devices like tablets. Honestly, its not that far of 800Mhz CPU eqquiped models.

    The Wildfire S construction brings it up to date with the top range HTC Sensation along with the capacitive touch screen and the faster CPU. The screen resolution has also been increased and now looks very good.

    The short time we had to test the Wildfire S we all agreed that it is a mini version of the current top end HTC Sensation. Based on the expected lower outright price for the Wildfire S we can't think of another phone in this price range that is as good - for the time being.

    The only criticism that can be made is aimed at the Android OS being a tad difficult to initially work out and of course the need to sign up with Gmail to use even the most basic functions like the calendar. Along with that the Wildfire is an internet centric phone that requires a data plan with the phone. Signing up for anything is optional on Nokia and iPhone.

    Overall the Wildfire S is a probably the best phone and must buy (and the new benchmark compact Android mobile phone) if your after a small and well made phone that can do almost everything you want. However the price must be right whether purchased outright, on a plan or as a pre-paid package.

    Specifications

    • HTC Wildfire S
    • Network
      Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900
      Dual-band 3G 850/2100
      HSDPA 7.2 Mbits data speed (download)
      384kpbs data speed (upload)
    • Design
      Touch screen
    • L101.3 x W59.4 x D12.4 mm
      Weight 105 grams
    • Display/s
      External 3.2 Inch TFT 320 x 480
    • Camera
      5MP
      LED Flash
    • Video Camera
      800 x 480 video camera 15FPS
    • Connectivity
      Wi-Fi
      Bluetooth V2.1
    • CPU
      600Mhz
    • Memory
      Up to 512MB available to user
      MicroSD up to 32Gig
    • Ring tones
      MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features
      A-GPS
      Proximity
      Compass
      Accelerometer (G-Sensor)
      Light Sensor
      FM Radio
      Music and Media player
      Organiser/Calender
      SMS, MMS, IM, Email
      FM radio
      Speaker Phone/Hands free
      Li-Po 1230mAh battery
      Up to 570 hours Standby
      Up to 430 minutes Talk Time
    • Price history
      Under $199 AUS November 2011 (Pre-paid)
      Under $350 AUS 2011 (Approx outright)

  • Nokia N8 Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the Nokia N8 review. The N8 is Nokia's first real competitor to the all too common iPhone.  The N8 release in late 2010 is everything the iPhone is not and that's why we love Nokia's. Out of the box the N8 has all the software you need to have a full functional mobile office and consequently all too smart phone. Built as a competitor for the all conquering iPhone the N8 surpasses it in most instances - except for one key issue. Since most people skip the middle middle bit we now have actually bought a N8 outright for ourselves and so far very happy. The Nokia N8 has the best camera on a mobile phone - no question. The picture quality is amazing for camera phone just as good if not better than most point and shoot digital camera and the screen colors are amazingly accurate to real life. The most impressive thing about the N8 camera is its ability to take impressive night time images. All you have to remember is to select night portrait scene and snap away - no need to hold the camera still forever to get a decent image. The N8 review is going to be difficult because it is a brilliant phone but with conditions attached.  In isolation the N8 has everything you need in a modern mobile phone in 2011. The redesigned operating system works fast and efficiently - so much so that it is the equal to other phones featuring faster CPUs. Android, Windows Mobile.  Although not many people note this in reviews but you can customize everything important on the phone which makes it desirable amongst the anti-establishment these days. Subjectively it is as easy to use as any Android based phone. Sure there are niggles and annoyances but every phone and OS has them. The loud speaker is very loud but hampered by the speaker opening on the bottom of the camera if placed on a flat surface. The sound from the loud speaker is not hi-fi being just loud. Thankfully the in-call sound quality on both ends is excellent very clear. It is easily better than the iPhone models or any other mobile we've tested to date. The N8 screen is also something to boast. The N8's screen reproduces color that almost true to life.  Compare the actual scene with the same picture and it is a very close match. Sure there is some color saturation but its nowhere near as bad a normal digital camera. Most people are fooled by over saturated images with warmth due to saturated greens, red and blue. (eg greener gas or blue sky etc..) The N8 does not its closer to true life than anything bar a DSLR camera. We kid you not. One of the key decisions when buying the N8 is that it is one of the few mobile phones with penta-band 3G - which means it will work on any 3G frequency in the world include Telstra  NextG and the usual quad-band GSM - so will work on any network world wide. The ability of the N8 to hold a signal is also very good. We have no problems in marginal areas like we did on other phones - including the old E71. The Nokia N8 also has in-built fully functional Global Mapping GPS navigation system with free world wide map updates and widgetised home screens. Of course there is also the physical design which is a refreshing change from the other high end slabs on the market. The N8 is most aluminum except for the two ends. The Gorilla glass also means that you really don't need an extra screen protector. We didn't and there are no scratches on the screen despite a couple accidental drops. The other less publicized feature is the fact the N8 can play all the common video files including FLASH and AVI, FLV formats outside the web browser.  The more telling point is that the N8 does not need a 1GHz CPU to play them in complete smoothness! The clearly more efficient OS also means that the standby times and talk times exceed the iPhone and Windows Mobile based phones! The OLED screen looks great too in day light or at night. The OVI Maps navigation starts up quicker than another other GPS software on the market. The A-GPS works almost immediately likewise all the various features of the software. Just as good as other stand alone systems although missing some functionality when not actually navigating. In regards to the N8 camera, all we can say is amazing for 2010 mobile phone.  The N8 image quality is just as good as a point and shoot camera in day light and excellent (ie even better) at night.  Time between images and flash recharge times are quick too with no noticeable delay. There are no complaints about the camera interface either.  Just press the camera button on the side to activate and snap away. Additional settings are a screen icon away and simple to activate. We think every other website who claims it is a problem completely out of touch. Since buying the N8 one of us no longer carries a regular camera when going out that's how good it is. However the N8 is not perfect. The OS still has some rough edges so it is not as smooth as other models.  The battery life is not impressive.  In real life it will only last one day under heavy use. Even on standby 3 or days. However the most annoying thing - although has nothing to do with the N8 its self is the disappointing Ovi Suite. Ovi Suite simply does not work well.  It fails to sync with Outlook 99% of the time.  The prior Nokia Suite worked - so why did they replace it? Furthermore the Ovi Store App on the phone it self does not work most of the time. The Web browser while advanced does need an interface overhaul. That said if you have an Apple Mac the N8 will sync with it without any problems. To conclude the Nokia N8 may represent the last? of the Symbian based high end phones due to their new partnership with Microsoft. Sure there are a few things that make the phone harder to use than others but it feels great to have something that isn't an iPhone. The OS can only get better. Personally I think there is too much focus on the OS and shop app stores (which we love browsing BTW).  So if you can live without too many Apps, want the best mobile phone camera to date then the N8 is the best smart phone you can buy. The N8 is a keeper. It's a pity no one else can recognize that. Note that we are waiting for the Symbian Anna update which promises to fix the smoothness issues with the interface. We'll update the review then. If you want a camera phone equal to any point and shoot camera (eg. Canon ixus series) give the N8 a go its even more convenient that a separate pocket camera and pictures probably a little better too! Specifications
    • Nokia N8
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Penta-band 3G 850/900/1900/2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 7.2 Mbps data speed (download) HSUPA 5.7 Mbps (upload)
    • Design Touch screen
    • L113.5 x W59 x D12.9 mm
    • Weight 135 grams
    • Display/s 3.5inch External AMOLED 360 x 640
    • Camera 12MP XENON Flash Forward facing camera for video calls.
    • Video Camera 720 HD pixel main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V3 HDMI MicroUSB
    • CPU 680 Mhz Separate Graphic CPU
    • Memory Up to 16 Gig on board Up to 32GB microSD
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features MS-Word, Excel and Powerpoint, PDF, ZIP compatible A-GPS Compass Accelerometer Dolby Digital OVI Store for Apps Proximity Ambient Light Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po BL-4D 12000mAh battery Up to 17 days Standby Up to 12 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $850 AUS 2011 (Outright)

  • Samsung Galaxy 5 (i5500) Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the Samsung Galaxy 5 review. The Galaxy 5 or Samsung i5500 was released in November 2010 and is one of the latest Android based phones on the Australian mobile phone market.  We think do not think that is coincidence that the HTC Wildfire was released just a few weeks before.  Anyway both phones on first glance have very similar hardware specifications but which one do we think is better? read on for the the HTC Wildfire Vs Samsung Galaxy 5 review. Firstly the differences - the Samsung Galaxy 5 ($199) is cheaper than the HTC Wildfire ($299 December 2010) as a pre-paid package.  The price difference between the two is due to the Galaxy having a smaller 2MP camera but it does have a faster CPU which is essential to experience all the features of the Android 2.1. The lower resolution camera, less on-board memory but 2 Gig microSD card, and the not quite so obvious smaller screen size.  We didn't notice the lower spec hardware but we did notice the not quite so zippy interface we liked on the Wildfire and even the Optimus. The Galaxy 5's construction feels cheaper than Wildfire but not the LG Optimus yet all the phones where easy to use in the hand and appeared quite sturdy.  Out of all the cheap Android based phones we prefer the HTC Wildfire that said the lower price of the Galaxy 5 makes it appealing too. The buttons on the panel are a good idea and the quality of the screen images was The Galaxy 5 has all the usual features included in higher end phones so GPS, radio, decent web browser and of course Apps.  However the biggest problem with the Samsung and ALL Android based phones is the requirement for having a Gmail account to activate the phone.  We do not agree with this compulsory login before we can even use the basic features of the phone Eg. calender.  This goes the same with Apple and Microsoft phone these days.  Requiring access to a wireless internet connection or a data plan is we guess the basic requirement for these types of phones. However we are consumers and we should say NO. Overall we like all the features you get on the Galaxy 5 but grow wary of the Android OS - just like Apple's iPhone. We don't think any of the touch screen phones really address all types of users but try to meet the bulk of users. The Galaxy 5 is cheap enough mobile phone that does work well but there are better phones for not much more $$$.  Likewise there are phones that are cheaper and work just as well. Overall the Galaxy 5 It is easy enough to use and stable.  So if you can't afford say the HTC Wildfire ($50-100 more) then the Galaxy 5 is a good alternative if you needs are not too demanding. Update: After using the Galaxy 5 for a few months we encountered some issues with 'slowing' interface.  The Galaxy 5 does become laggy and we began to encounter reduced battery life for some reason.  So our conclusion changed slightly in that it gives a good first impression but needs more work for long term stability. Specifications
    • Samsung Galaxy 5 (i5500)
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Dual-band 3G 850/900/1900/2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 7.2 Mbits data speed (download) 384kpbs data speed (upload)
    • Design Touch screen
    • L108 x W56.5 x D12.5 mm Weight 101 grams
    • Display/s External 2.8 Inch TFT 240 x 320
    • Camera 2MP LED Flash
    • Video Camera 480 x 320 video camera 15FPS
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V2.1
    • CPU 600Mhz
    • Memory Up to 170MB available to user MicroSD up to 16Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features A-GPS Accelerometer Light Sensor Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 1300mAh battery Up to 690 hours Standby Up to 490 minutes Talk Time
    • Price history Under $199 AUS 2010 (Pre-paid)

  • HTC 7 Mozart Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the 2010 HTC 7 Mozart review. The HTC 7 Mozart was released in late October 2010.  Initially it will only be available for the Australian Telstra network but presumably for others over time. The HTC 7 Mozart is one of the first Windows Phone 7 OS based mobiles to be released to world. Since the phone is still new (at the time of writing) here are our first impressions. Approximate pricing we saw was around the $850 outright. The new Windows Phone 7 OS is very impressive.  From startup of the phone we where impressed with the speed and graphical presentation.  All the basic tasks on the phone are grouped into large finger friendly squares on the main screen that when activated reveal it full functionality. You can navigate the screens by scrolling up or down and as responsive as any other mobile running a 1Ghz CPU ! Applications run almost instantly and their settings easy to access.  Forget the ancient Windows Mobile OS the new version is so much better. Build quality of the HTC 7 Mozart is also very good  It is a solid phone that is mostly made of aluminum and glass which feels great to hold and use. The Mozart name means that it supposedly sounds good and it does to a certain extent.  Sounds quality in hindsight does not approach the quality and volume of the 6233 our favorite and old benchmark. The new HTC 7 Mozart has all that you need in one device for email, calls, SMS, IM, Facebook, Twitter, Skype and more.  The only thing missing is the ability run FLASH which means no videos or ability to run any FLASH based Facebook games. Overall the the HTC 7 Mozart thanks to the latest OS excellent.  It is more graphically more impressive than all the other Android OS based phones and the iPhone. The changes are centered around making the various communication options easy to access and it works. The only thing that is currently a question mark for us is how stable the new system will be in the long run.  We like it and can recommend the HTC 7 Mozart as an alternative to any Android phone from 2010 and the iPhone. Specifications
    • HTC 7 Mozart
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Tri-band 3G 850/900/1900/2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 7.2 Mbps data speed (download) HSUPA 2 Mbps (upload)
    • Design Touch screen
    • L119 x W60.2 x D11.9 mm Weight 120 grams
    • Display/s 3.7 inch External TFT 480 x 800
    • Camera 8MP
    • Video Camera 720 HD pixel main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V2.1
    • CPU 1Ghz
    • Memory Up to 8 Gig on board
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features A-GPS Compass Accelerometer Andriod Store for Apps Proximity Ambient Light Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 1300mAh battery Up to 435 hours Standby Up to 205 mins Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $850 AUS 2010 (Outright)

  • Garmin-ASUS Nuvifone A50 Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the 2010 Garmin Nuvifone A50 review. The Nuvifone A50 is our first ever Garmin mobile phone writeup so we had a significant play with the phone. Officially it is branded a Garmin-ASUS which makes it like Sony Ericsson which does sound more impressive. It is priced under $600 as an outright purchase which is a little expensive BUT you do get a proper GPS navigator! First impressions of the phone are good. Decent build quality, including the bright and simple to use menu system.  The Nuvifone A50 functionality is biased towards navigation more than mobile phone so the main menu has nice big icons for navigation and basic phone functions.  You also get the usual web browser, email, and a multitude of Apps that comes with the Android OS. The platform it runs on is customized version of Android 1.6 operating system, so you have access to additional Apps if you wanted to install them and combined with free map updates stored in the phone for the life of the phone which makes the whole package quite desirable. The menu system works really well and just as slick as other Android phones or the iPhone.  However most of the cool stuff that is standard on other Android's are hidden away but at least accessible. The Garmin navigation software on the Nuvifone has be updated to take advantage of mobile phone functionality so it looks like the traditional Garmin menu.  All the usual navigation features are there and it does works better than most App based navigation software you have to buy for other mobile phones. We think its probably the best navigation system you can get. Sure it has some quirks but there's plenty of substance. The phone system of the A50 works as well as any other phone. However in the end many won't get one because while it looks good it doesn't look that good and the mobile phone networks aren't making an effort to publicize its existence.  Maybe a price drop will help? We liked the Nuvifone A50 and so will you if you want one of the best GPS navigator/mobile phone experience available in 2010. Since the map data is on the phone you don't need a huge data plan either which makes the A50 as appealing as the Nokia E series or GPS biased phones. Specifications
    • Garmin-ASUS Nuvifone A50
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Dual-band 3G 1900/2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 7.2 Mbits data speed (download)
    • Design Touch screen
    • L116 x W62.5 x D11.9 mm Weight 140 grams
    • Display/s 3.5 inch External TFT 320 x 480
    • Camera 3MP
    • Video Camera 640 x 480 pixel main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V2
    • CPU 600Mhz
    • Memory 4 Gig on board Up to 256MB available to user MicroSD up to 32Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features A-GPS Compass Accelerometer JAVA Apps Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 1150mAh battery Up to 18 days Standby Up to 9 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Under $599 AUS 2010 (Outright)

  • Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the 2010 Sony Ericsson Experia X10 Mini Pro review. The SE X10 Mini Pro is the smaller brother to the X10 and the bigger bro to the X10 Mini that doesn't have a slide out keypad. It is also one of the company's first Android based mobile phones, although running the old version 1.6.  The X10 Mini is available from all networks including the Telstra NextG compatible. We are going to be completely blunt to say the this review is going to be really short.  The main reason is that we simply lost interest in going too deep into the user experience. The user interface uses the first version of the Google Android operating system and it shows.  It cannot do a lot of things you would expect in a mobile phone priced in this category for 2010.  Cheaper Sony Ericsson phones like the Vivaz have a better user experience.  While everything worked smoothly it was a relatively slow experience. The quality of construction is good but it does not give the impression of premium quality.  Even the cheaper HTC Wildfire and Samsung Wave look and feel better.  The X10 Mini Pro may have a good keypad but that doesn't compensate for the bigger screen size required for an interface that is designed for touch screens.  The small and low resolution 240 x 320 pixel screen doesn't help matters wither.  The surface of the X10 Mini may be small but the keypad makes it quite a thick phone. We tried to like the X10 Mini Pro since it had high level marketing but in the end it does not live up to expectations.  There are better phones in the Sony range and for cheaper prices.  The 2010 X10 Mini Pro is what we can call a good phone but not at its present price. In all honestly this phone is perfectly suited to sell as a pre-paid package price? - say under $350 because the HTC Wildfire priced under $350 is a better phone.  Without a low price tag the X10 Mini Pro has short falls in design that cannot be overcome.  In the lower price bracket it would be our recommended model but until then there are better models. Specifications
    • Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Tri-band 3G 850/1900/2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 10.2 Mbits data speed (download) HSUPA 2 Mbits data speed (upload)
    • Design Touch screen and QWERTY
    • L90 x W52 x D17 mm Weight 120 grams
    • Display/s 2.6 inch External TFT 240 x 320
    • Camera 5MP LED Flash
    • Video Camera 640 x 480 pixel main video camera 30FPS
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V2
    • CPU 600Mhz
    • Memory Up to 128MB available to user MicroSD up to 16Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features A-GPS JAVA Apps Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email Andriod Store FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 930mAh battery Up to 360 hours Standby Up to 4 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Under $500 AUS 2010 (Outright)